


Being Enough

by Niullum



Series: Short Fics! [6]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Crying, Emotional Hurt, Ficlet, Gen, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Tim Drake Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27381448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niullum/pseuds/Niullum
Summary: “I’m tired of being a temporary person in people's lives. I want someone to stay. I want to be enough.”Tim has an emotional breakdown but his father is there for him to soothe the hurt and give him love.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Series: Short Fics! [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931164
Comments: 15
Kudos: 166





	Being Enough

The thing about Tim was that he had the bad habit of bottling his feelings until they would boil and then explode, like a dormant volcano that out of nowhere would erupt. Probably a trauma-related thing, like most kids have these days. After many years, knowing his son, Bruce would sometimes predict when Tim would have these kinds of outbursts.

Strangely it was never academic things like school or his grades or even business. Tim had always been a smart boy, prone to quick thinking and problem solving, something Bruce still felt guilty about after knowing Tim had dropped out of school. It was whenever his relationships didn’t work out or had a falling out that Tim would crash hard, and it would take months for him to get over it.

But Tim would keep the pain, frustration, tears, and wallow them in silence. Bury himself under hours of extra work as the sadness would soon accumulate over the months. Forge a smile even as if Tim was hurting inside, and joke around. Hiding whatever inner turmoil was going through his mind.

This habit strongly accentuated after the Robin mantle debacle that eventually culminated with getting Bruce back. A moment his eldest son Dick was not proud of in the slightest - since there could have been better alternatives - but at the time it was the best option he managed to come within the moment.

Ever since that Tim had remained distant from everyone. To the rest of the family, Tim had everything handled. Every once in a while he would make a vague comment of being stressed or give a small complaint about the titans, but the rest? He would keep it to himself.

And despite knowing Tim, this time Bruce had not seen this breakdown coming. It took him by surprise. They were at the Batcave when it happened, after a two-hour-long fight with Nigma, that ended up a broken rib and Damian being benched for the next couple of weeks. Bruce was finishing up typing the last reports when he heard something.

It sounded like someone sobbing. He turned around and Tim was looking intently at his phone. His eyes were glimmering with unshed tears.

“Tim?” Bruce said standing up and closing the distance with ease, concern laced in his voice. The worry grew more when Tim quickly tucking the phone back in his sweatpants and tried to fake there was nothing wrong.

Now that he remembered, Tim hadn’t talked much tonight.

“Yeah?” Tim replied, his voice shaky. It was clear something was bothering him.

Bruce frowned.

“Is everything okay?” He asked, cautiously. “Did something happen?”

Tim opened his mouth but no words came out. “I’m just tired,” Tim whispered, in a sudden moment of courage. “I’m exhausted B´.”

“Why are you tired?” Bruce asked, checking to see if there were any injuries he had overseen or not taken into account. The need to fuzz over him almost overpowered him but deep down Bruce knew that would not be appreciated at the moment.

“I’m tired of being a temporary person in people's lives,” Tim admitted and wiped off his tears with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Someone will always mean more than I do. I’m nobody's first choice. Nobody’s choice to go.”

“Tim-”

“I’m never the person you’d fight for or beg to stay. Never the one you would defend.”

“Tim, what are you talking about?” Bruce said this time more worried than ever. He took a step forward but Tim shook his head. “You’re enough-”

“But if I’m enough why…?” his voice cracked and Tim shut his eyes. A sob came out of his mouth. “Why am I nobody’s first choice? I’m never prioritized!” Tim said, ending with a shout and he lost it. “I’m always excluded! I’m never defended! I wish I could be the one that wasn’t left out for once!”

Bruce was at loss.

“I’m just so freaking tired of being the second option,” Tim continued, his voice getting more choked up as he spoke “And it’s not….it’s not fair. I want someone to stay. I want to be enough.”

Suddenly Tim was sobbing, deep, wracking sobs that shook his whole body.

“I try so much and put so much effort, so much of my love. I give and I give and I….and I get my heart broken. One mistake and then I’m replaced and forgotten as if I’m disposable and no one cares. No one ever cares, no one fights for me and-”

“Tim,” Bruce interrupted, touching his shoulder. “Can you look at me?

Tim looked up and locked eyes with him.

“I’m sorry you’re feeling this way,” Bruce started. “I know it hurts right now, but this? This will pass.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Tim admitted through sobs. “It hurts so bad.”

“Tim,” Bruce insisted. ”You’re going to find people who will want you permanently in their life. Friends and relationships who will fight for you and stand by your side. I’m pretty sure you have one of those in your life right now and you haven’t noticed nor remembered them because you’re focusing on the wrong people. Then you’ll be grateful to let those people go. You want to know why?”

Tim sucked a deep breath and nodded.

“Because you’re important. You mean something. You’re loved. You’re valuable and powerful in your own right. Your family loves you. Now keep your head up. Timmy, you are enough. ”

A beat before he added, this time with a kiss on his son’s forehead.

“You always have been, chum.”

And as Tim threw himself at Bruce and hugged him, cried, and poured his heart out, Bruce had a revelation. He may never know well what had happened to his son or what could have prompted this type of response but at least Bruce knew something.

He would always be there for his son.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading


End file.
